Baby sleep: which position is best?

Providing your baby with a safe sleeping environment is vital to your baby's health but what exactly does that mean? What position is best for my baby? What type of bed is best for my baby? Should bumpers be placed in the crib? The list of questions goes on and on.

It is currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that healthy infants sleep on their backs for the first year of life for safety.1 Infants who sleep on their backs are at a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a condition that affects approximately 4,000 infants annually in the United States.1,2

The risk of SIDS is noted to be the highest within the first 6 months of life, so placing your infant on their back during this time is especially recommended.1

Pediatricians recommend that healthy infants sleep on their backs for the first year of their life.

Since these recommendations were made in 1992, there has been a significant decrease in SIDS-related deaths. However, infant deaths caused by suffocation, entrapment and asphyxia have been on an upward trend.3

Nothing is one size fits all, so it best to speak with your pediatrician to see which sleep position is best for your baby based on factors such as medical history. At times, other sleeping positions may be recommended.

Providing your infant with a safe sleep environment is just as important as the position that they sleep in. Certain steps can be taken to make sure you are providing your infant with the safest sleeping environment possible, as well as decreasing the risk of SIDS.

Recommended safety measures include:1-3

Place your baby on their back for sleeping and encourage supervised tummy time when they are not sleeping

Avoid placing your baby too close to air conditioning or heating vents

Do not expose your baby to secondhand smoking

If room sharing, do not let your baby sleep on your bed, couch or chair

If your baby is not sleeping in a crib all of the time, use a bassinet or portable crib and apply the same safety measures

It is not recommended to use SIDS reduction monitors or devices.

The risk of SIDS may also be reduced by immunizing your baby as recommended and by breastfeeding.3 Some mothers may choose to bed-share with their baby to promote prolonged breastfeeding, but generally bed-sharing is not recommended. Last year, Medical News Today ran a Spotlight article examining the risks and benefits of bed-sharing with a baby.

Bringing home your baby can be an overwhelming time, even for a seasoned parent. Speak with your pediatrician for more information on safe sleeping practices and which positions are recommended for your infant.

The topic of sleeping practices for infants is a controversial one, with the AAP advising against bed-sharing and proponents of the practice arguing for its benefits. Now, a new study published in Pediatrics suggests having an infant sleep on a sofa - even for a nap - is especially risky.

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